Drum type, rotary, perpetual calendar



Jan. 8, 1952 E. B. NlcHoLs I 2,581,810

DRUM TYPE ROTARY PERPETUAL CALENDAR Filed July 1e, 194s Gttomeg Patented Jan. 8, 1952 PATENT ortica;

'DRUM RO TARLY; BERPET-UAL -QALENDAR EdgarBlNihills, Mooresftown, N. Ll.

Application ,July-16, 1946', :Serial No; 683,867.'

5. Claims... (Cl.` l0-e114),

This-invention relates to perpetual calendars, andzzmoreparticularly to a rotary. calendar suitrableffor; use on.a;deskor thelike; y Y Y 'Rotary calendarshavebecnlprovided heretof ferie which. embody a; cylindrical-casing having several rotatable,l .manually adjustable: drums thereinrfor.indicatingthefdays ofL the Week,v the 'monthsfofz theyearfand1-the date; of each day. In calendar constructionsoithis. sort, thefseveral drums are; usually arranged; inaxially. aligned, .uirtaposedfrelation andmeans are provided ex-gter-nal to;y thefcasingr for rotating.; each ofn (the drumsndividllally. and independentlmotthe other drums wherebyjeacndrummay benesitiened te `provide @Inner `calendar information; end..rotary f calendars. have beeinl-prevideiil, here..- tofore, with.` a separate operating device ,for `each drum. In many instances, these operating .de. vices are so constructed; and arrangedthatrthey render. the. enti-re. structure fairly'feemplicated. Duegto;themnltiplicity-loffparts employed .in such prior-art calendars, these calendars have been rather; costly. Eurthermore, where such parts require-more-thans` a mere simple manipulation forgadjusting the-several drums, they have-resulted in.failure of the calendars tov appeal to Prospective users4 Thefgprimary vobject v,ofi my present inventionvis to proyideanimprcved, rotar-y, perpetual, desk calendar which isrfreesfrom theaforementioned and-many other olojectionablefeatures :present inmion art calendars.v of this type. More particularly, itis -an objectof n1yp res. entinvention.togprovideanimproVed.rotarymerpetual.A desk calendar. which .isextremely sifrnple inzconstructionand whichcan be manipulated with-great, ease to. adjustthe variousindicating drumsthereof to desired positions. v fAnother object. of, my present-invention .iste providelanfimprovedcalendar as aforesaidwhich is of durable construction.. and which.. can vbe manufactured at ver-y low cost.

Still', another object. of ymyfpresent yinvention is to provide an improved, rotary, desk calendar which canbemadehighly ornamentaland which willpresent ,an attractiveappearance ,to.-,the-.eye., further; objectgof my` invention is 'to-provide in-a rotarmdeskv. calendar, anovel arrangement'gof oorrtrol-l-mernbersfior the rotary drums whereby the number of parts.requiredisreduced, to famine It i,s-a1s.o.a-n. objectof. my. .presentinveritien to provide an...miami/e134..rotary,` ,deskl :calendar of, the. type. set-forth above 'which readily,l :lends it.. self;toginexpensiue:orfecnnomicalinroduction;,par

To 'this Y f drilrm Themeehanism i..s;th1.1.s greatly, s t. withaccompanying-,decrease.in @est andvinereese in easefefteperationf.. v

The novell features that. Ire.@insider4 charac-aeristieef myfinventienare..setfelithwithfaarteulaiity,in.the.annendedfe1aimsf. "Eheim/enti nfitselt, however, bethes t0 its Organization.-andtmethed ofi operation, .aswell as .additional'objectsand,adrA

i vantages thereon will be understood .best `from the; `follow-ingVA description of two embodiments thereof, when read inconnectionlwth. the-accom.- pa-nyina .drawing-I Whieh;

.Eigurev` 1` fis, a front elevation. of., one; for-m@ vof rotary, deskZ-ealendarfaeeerdine to. mynresentfin- Vfllton.

.Figure .2.i s a central, longitudinalsection there: onta-ndI Figure 3 is. aviewfsimilarfte Eigureaof enether form of=` calendar inn-accordance with my ,nresent invention, y

.Referring more f particularly` to lathe,Y drawing` in whichsimilar;reference-charactersdesignate ,corresponding parts throughoua .thereisgshown .in Figures 1 and 2, a V)oase I .formedwitharpai-r of epeesedf-upwerd-lx vextericline,L end. shoulders f3. and' a pair of .spaced -openings' ,Between its shoulders; 3,v the, base -.I 'supportsga housinggflo any suitably shaped,f `external appearance -but having.- a: cylindricalinterior :onhore Sl,1 The housing- 7, which. is: openr at.. vlooth.- of, its, end-s, carries. a` pair,- of;` bolts.: 'LIA whicht are received-3 the openings/.75, andra- .paireof' nuts Id, whichane threaded Jn-the bolts, I lgx. removably, secure, the housing` f1 te. the base-1 Rotatably mounted withinv the. bere.- 9 et. the housing. l are yfeur: eylindrica1axially-alie ed, J'uxtaposed;fdr,ums;. |5. 1:1, -Iand 21h.- .lnreferabla ofggthe v4sainefdiarriei'feI-, The 5dr? '1115.11 fand-:LSL: be arranged in; contacting-relation but; they; are

separated slightly from the drums l and 2| by spacing rings 23. A pair of resilient, expansible rings 25 which are arranged within the bore 3 against the outer ends of the two outer drums I5 and 2| serve to lock the assembly of drums in place within the housing 1. However, the drums all have a rather loose t within the bore 9 so that they can be rotated easily to bring into View through one or more suitable sight openings 21 in the housing 1 calendar designating indicia 29 thereon. Each of the open ends of the housing 1 is pro vided with a closure member 3| having an inner, annular flange 33 which is mounted within the bore 9 both for rotation of the closure member on and movement thereof axially along the housing 1. Each closure member 3| is also formed with a suitable knob 35 which can be grasped by the ngers for manual manipulation to either rotate the closure member within or adjust'it axially along the housing 1, and with an intermediate, annular, reducedv portion 31 in which the adjacent end shoulder 3 of the base l is received. It will be seen, therefore,-that the shoulders 3 act as stops for limitingaxial movement of the closure members 3| along the housing 1 by engagement of either the flanges 33 or the knobs 35 therewith. For rotating the drums I5, I1, I9 and 2 I, each of therclosure member flanges 33 has secured thereto a longitudinally slotted, expansible driving cylinder 39 which extends -into the two adjacent drums on a smaller diameterthan the inner diameter of the several drums. The driving cylinders 39 are formed with outwardly extending V-shaped ribs or the like 4| which are on a diameter such that they frictionally engage the inner surface of one or the other of the pair of drums I5 and I1, or-I9 and 2|, with which either one of the closure members 3| happens to be associated. Thus, the left hand closure member 3|, in its extreme left hand position as determined by engagement of its flange 33 with` the associated stop shoulder 3 and as shown in Figure 2, has its rib extensions 4| in frictional driving engagement with the inner surface of the drum I5. VRotation of the left hand closure member 3| will then effect rotation of the drum I 5 to the desired position. On the other lha.nd.when the left hand closure member 3| is moved to its extreme right hand position, as determined by engagement of its knob 35 withthe adjacent stop shoulder 3, its rib extensions 4| will have slipped past the ring 23 and into frictional drivingengagement with the inner surface of the drum I1, whereby theV latter drum can be rotated., The action of the right hand closure member 3| is similar with respect to the drums I9 and 2|, this closure member being shown in its inner position, in Figure 2, in driving or coacting relation with its inner drum I9.- It will thus be apparent that the two drums of each pair of drums |45 and |1, orr|9 and 2|'are actuatedby only'a single, common operating member 3| and that, las this member is brought into coacting relation with one drum of its pair, it is simultaneously brought out of coacting relation with the other drum of its pair. Byutilizing a single operating member for each pair of drums, the number of parts is reduced to a minimum, the cost of the calendar is correspondingly reduced,- and the manipulation required to rotate the drums is simplified.

The modification of my invention shown in Figure 3 is fairly similar to that described above. However, in Figure 3, the spacing rings 23 are omitted, and the adjacent edges of eachpair of drums are made divergent in a direction radially inwardly of the drums whereby to provide spaces 43 in which the V-ribs 4| are received. When the operating members 3| are in their innermost positions, their ribs 4I will drivingly engage the adjacent, tapered edges of their respectively associated drums |1 and I9 for rotating these two drums. On the other hand, when the members 3| are withdrawn to their outermost positions, their respective ribs 4|A will then drivingly engage the tapered edges of the outer drums I5 and 2| whereby the latter two drums may be ro tated. If desired, the stop shoulders 3 may be omitted in this modification of my invention since the stop rings 25 will keep the drum assembly in place within the housing 1, and the notches or spaces 43 will limit the axial movement of the cylinders 39 and their closure members 3|. Thus, the knobs 35 may be made smaller than in the form of calendar shown in Figures A1 and 2. Y

Although I have shown and described two forms of my invention, it will undoubtedly be apparent to lthose skilled in the art that many other forms thereof, as well as variations in those described above, are possible within the scope of my invention. vFor example, the base and the housing 1 may be made in one integral piece and may be formed out of metal which may be cast or otherwise suitably formed, or out of any one. of the now well known plastics, in which case these parts may be molded in a single unit. Many other changes will, no doubt, suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. I therefore desire that my invention as described herein and as shown in the accompanying drawings shallbe considered as illustrative and not as limiting in any sense.

I claim as vmy inventionz 1. vA perpetual calendar comprising a housing open at one end and having a cylindrical bore, said housing being provided with sight openings, a pair of drums rotatably carried within said bore for rotation therein independently of each other, said drums having calendar designating indicia thereon visible through -said openings, and a single drum operating member extending into said housing through said open end thereof for coaction with either one or the other of said pair of drums at a time, said member including a closure element for said open end adapted to be grasped by the hand for movement of said member at will axially along said housing in one direction to bring it into coacting relation with said one drum and to simultaneously withdraw it from coacting relation with said other drum, and being movable in the opposite direction to bring it into coacting relation with said other -druml and to simultaneously withdraw it from coacting relation with said one drum, and `said member being also rotatably carried by said lhousing whereby it is adapted, upon being manually rotated, to4 effect rotation of that one of lsaid drums with which it has coacting relation at any time.v

2. A perpetual calendar according to claim 1 wherein said drum operating member includes an expansible device having portions extendinginto said drums, said portions having outwardly extending parts thereon on a diameter such-that said parts are in frictional engagement with one or the other of said drums depending upon the axial position of said operating member in said housing whereby to effect driving engagement between said member and the respective drums.

V3. A perpetual .calendar according toelaim :l

wherein said drum operating member includes an expansible device having portions extending into said drums, said portions having outwardly extending parts thereon on a diameter such that said parts are in frictional engagement with the inner surface of one or the other of said drums depending upon the axial position of said operating member'in said housing whereby to effect driving engagement between said member and the respective drums.

4. A perpetual calendar according to claim 1 characterized in that said drums are disposed in juxtaposed `relation within said housing, the adjacent edges'of said drums being shaped to provide a space therebetween, and characterized further in that said drum operating member includes an expansible device having portions extending into said drums, said portions having outwardly extending parts thereon on a diameter such that said parts extend into said space for engagement with vone or the other of said adjacent edges depending upon the axial position of said operating member injsaid housing whereby to eiect driving engagement between said member and the respective drums.

5. A' perpetual calendar according to claim 1 lcharacterized by the addition of a base supporting said housing, and means on said base cooperatively associated With said drum operating member for limiting axial movement of said drum operating member in either of said directions.

EDGAR B. NICHOLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 615,221 Irwin et al Nov. 29, 1898 995,466 Jones June 20, 1911 1,414,686 Blessing May 2, 1922 1,433,656 Roberts Oct. 31, 1922 1,594,259 Hardman July 27, 1926 1,801,714 Bevilacqua Apr. 21, 1931 2,096,248 Huston Oct. 19, 1937 2,110,668 Janssen Mar. 8, 1938 2,296,551 Ylio Sept. 22, 1942 2,338,377 Gatewood Jan. 4, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 482,6 92 Germany Sept. 18, 1929 688.643 France May 13, 1930 

